Lin Mu almost chuckled after hearing Lady Kang’s first ssage and then grew serious hearing the second. But there was still more left to hear.
"Still, consider it done. I’ll also keep a communication channel open in case you need anything else urgently. Just let the rchant Union know. As of now, the Smoldering Rock rchant Union is at your full command. Vaults, personnel, transport—whatever you need, you’ll have it."
"And don’t worry about paynt. Consider it... interest on the debt I already owe you."
As the ssage ended, Lin Mu let out a soft breath and glanced up with a faint smile.
"Looks like it’s settled."
But while his tone was casual, the reaction around him was anything but.
The relay elder was already pale, trembling slightly.
Overseer Zhai, who had earlier bowed at the sight of Lin Mu’s token, was now visibly sweating. He had read the additional return ssage that was intended for them as it passed through the union’s filters and had already forwarded it up the internal chain.
Within monts, an internal ergency order had been sent from the headquarters of the Smoldering Rock rchant Union—from the very owners of the union themselves:
"All personnel are to obey any and all requests from the holder of the Great Kang VIP Token currently stationed in Ash Crown City. Grant him unrestricted access to vaults, transmission arrays, transport caravans, and safe houses as needed.
Treat him as you would a visiting Immortal Court Envoy. Do not engage in price haggling or all our heads will co rolling down, as by whom you don’t wish to know.
This is a direct order."
In a matter of minutes, Lin Mu had gone from a mysterious cultivator to soone with enough backing to bring the entire rchant union’s leadership to heel.
Even Daoist Chu, who had seen many incredible things, couldn’t help but chuckle at the stunned expressions around them. "Now do you understand?" he said to Elyon, "This is why I told you earlier—if there’s one thing Lin Mu doesn’t lack... it’s wealth which of course also includes connections."
Elyon, who had been leaning casually against a pillar, straightened up. His usually cool, detached deanor was visibly cracked.
He had been astounded before—by Lin Mu’s strength, his resilience, his ability to tear open spatial rifts with his bare hands.
But now?
This was another level. This wasn’t strength. This was influence. The kind of influence that couldn’t be bought. The kind that shook rchant unions into submission and made high-level auction houses send priceless relics across the Immortal Court’s territories without hesitation.
The bounty hunter folded his arms and gave a low whistle. "You know, most people I work with can’t even afford a low-grade map from a backwater trader. And here you are, commanding the vaults of one of the largest rchant organizations on the continent like it’s a village grocery store."
ng Bai gave a small grin. "Welco to the club."
Lin Mu nodded at the attendants before speaking to the group. "Please arrange a temporary secure space for receiving the shipnt when it arrives. And if the contact of ours reaches out for pickup, tell them the horn is on its way and to be ready to fulfill their end."
Zhai nodded so quickly it looked like he might sprain his neck. "Yes! Of course! A private vault will be readied imdiately. We will assign two immortal guardians to monitor it until your item arrives."
"Good." Lin Mu turned to his companions. "That gives us a month to prepare."
As they walked out of the rchant hall, the entire staff stood at attention. Not a single person dared et Lin Mu’s gaze. They knew they were no longer dealing with just so traveling cultivator.
They were dealing with soone whose connections spanned sects, auction houses, and perhaps even courts.
Soone who could bathe in Earth Flas without harm, tear space as easily as silk, and now had the economic might of Lady Kang herself behind him.
Even Elyon, the notorious Hooded Tracker feared across several worlds, muttered quietly, "Alright, I was wrong. He’s not a client. He’s a walking imperial faction."
And this "imperial faction" just smiled faintly and said, "Let’s get back to planning. We’ve got a cult to uproot."
Thirty days.
That’s all it would take for the key to their next clue—the Illusory River Unicorn Horn—to arrive.
But in the shadows of the Ashen Forest, others were already moving.
The Drowned Crescent Cult was not dormant.
And they had already felt the ripples of Lin Mu’s arrival.
Far to the south of the Ash Crown City, a small group of individuals were currently gathered in what looked like a house. They all sat silently as they looked at each other.
So of their faces were covered with either cloth wraps or masks, while so left them bare, revealing their fierce faces that had the tattoo of a drowning crescent on their foreheads.
After a few minutes of silence the people glanced at the door, sensing soone approaching.
"He’s here." One of the n muttered.
As if on cue, the door to the house opened up as a short man walked in. He was slouching on one side and if one glanced at his left leg they would realize that it was strangely shorter than his other leg.
"La Yu," The people greeted him.
"Took you longer than expected, we were about to leave in a few minutes if you didn’t co." A female voice spoke.
La Yu’s expression strained but he still felt a bit of relief.
"What is it?" they asked.
"Things have gotten complicated..." He muttered.
"You lost the target?" One of them asked.
"No... Rather I found him... but not alone." He added.
"Not alone? The hooded Tracker works with others?" The female voice asked.
"He’s known to be solitary though." They were doubtful.
"He’s with a small group. Making it harder to approach." La Yu stated.
"When has a handful of people ever bothered you?" A man with a rough voice chuckled.
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